Under the Weather
by R011ingThunder
Summary: You can lead the girl to the boy, but can they be more than friends? When a cold leaves Lyon sick and miserable, Chelia sees the perfect opportunity to give him and Juvia a nudge in the right direction. [Mazeverse] Lyvia sickfic
1. Chapter 1

_**Erza**'s taking a mission at Crime Sorciere, going after the man she thought she always wanted. Is she leaving behind the man she thought she'd always have?  
**Natsu** has friend-zoned himself, leaving **Lucy** and **Lisanna** in the lurch. He'd rather avoid them both than risk being a two-timer like **Gray**.  
**Gray** (not actually a two-timer) just can't seem to catch a break. Maybe he just wasn't meant for romantic happiness. Or maybe it's time for a new direction.  
**Mira**'s stuck in the past, unable to accept that **Laxus** has his sights set elsewhere. __**Freed**'s never, never giving up on her, even if that means a broken heart.  
**Juvia**'s having second thoughts about **Gray**, but **Lyon**'s ready to call it quits. Can she get her feelings sorted out in time, or will she be left with nothing?  
And **Toby**'s dating **Jenny Realight**. The Jenny Realight. Wait, what?!  
_

_Something's gotta give._

__This is the Mazeverse series, a post-Tenrou AU _____where we put your ships in a blender and beat 'til smooth_. __Lyvia, __Gruvia, Jerza, ______Grayza, __Nalu, Nali, Lolu, Graylu, Bixanna, Gale, ElfEver, Miraxus, Laxana, MiraFreed as well as a handful of crackships and rare-pairs as we try to pair the spares. This is the Mazeverse. No ship is safe ;)__

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**Happy Friday!  
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**You guys ready for some fun? I've been sort of noncommittal about my whump, so I figured I'd delve in and write an actual sickfic. And my victim of choice? The undersung Lyon. He's a favorite of mine, but he doesn't get a lot of love from the fandom, probably because he's hard to deal with. (_I'm_ hard to deal with, so I empathize. XD)  
**

**If you're looking at the entire Mazeverse timeline, this fic falls right after _Blurred Lines_ and at the same time as _Someday in the Rain_. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, that's okay. Those fics aren't really related to this one. Well, **_**Blurred Lines**_** might be. (If you like this fic, then the last couple one-shots in that collection may be worth your time.)  
**

**The only thing you really need to know is that Juvia's come to the sudden realization that she's a taker in her friendship with Lyon. That, and they ended up getting caught in the rain together. (Therefore, by anime logic, Lyon getting sick was inevitable... It's like a law. Just add water for a cheap whumpy premise.) XD**

**Responses to guest reviews on last week's chapter of _Someday in the Rain_below. Feel free to skip below the break and dive into the story.**

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**guest: Great to hear from you again, my friend! You really made me smile. Part of me hates to admit how validated that makes me feel; the other part of me is shameless and totally eating it up. XD Trollolol, guilty as charged! - Glad I'm forgiven, though. ;) I could very well flip the tables again once mistreating Gray no longer amuses me. Or I could continue to be a troll, because why not? I think Gray is one of these unfortunate people who could spend their life in denial... that is, denial of their own heart's desires for the sake of others. I, too, would like to pummel him, and then send him off to do it right. He reminds me of a friend, so this hits pretty close to home for me. I'm glad I've managed to amuse you to some degree; that's all I can really ask for. Don't worry too much about reviewing. Take care of yourself; that's what's really important. :) I don't know exactly what's going on with you, but know that I'm wishing you the very best. :) Thanks for stopping by! **

**WonkyBookshelf: Wow, I'm floored - you really know how to make a writer feel special. Hmm, you like to read about Gray's suffering... and I like to write about Gray's suffering... You know, I think this could be the start of a beautiful friendship! XD I think you're right on the money about Erza. Let's do a quick analysis just for fun-sies. I don't know that Erza really understands her own feelings. She's still fixated on Jellal - the unresolved thread from her past. _Snowbound_ proved that she's also got softer feelings for Gray, which could be platonic love, familial love, romantic love - she hasn't got a clue. The archery story played on that, but was probably detrimental to a romantic Grayza. It sort of put out there this idea that she _could_ potentially like him back. There was definitely some level of attraction (let's face it; Gray's physically attractive) and some admiration that she didn't know how to handle. In her realignment, she sort of wrote off that attraction and sort of friend-zoned him. I didn't draw too much attention to that since Gray didn't actually ask, and Erza didn't actually reject him. But now... I see an Erza who suddenly realized that leaving home means leaving home. She was so excited at the prospect of Jellal that she failed to think it through. I wonder what else she didn't think through. As for what that means for Gray... well, we'll have to see. :)  
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**The bias question is an interesting one. I see myself as a storyteller - a reporter of sorts. I want to be able to get the best angles and perspectives for a story, regardless of how I feel about the characters (my bias). If you look at my profile, you'll see a whole mix of ships, and I can tell you that I absolutely hate several of them. Hopefully, you won't be able to tell which, since I should have put them in a positive light. Another aspect where this matters is when my view on relationships, chivalry, strong females, and best practices comes into play. If you look closely, you'll notice that certain behaviors make me uncomfortable, others just feel wrong to me. Sometimes I worry that my stories tend to paint these behaviors in a more negative light while I reward or celebrate actions that I personally find acceptable. The problem with this is that some things won't work in certain cultures, some actions are hard for certain personality types to pull off, and every relationship is different. I'd hate to mislead anybody (even subliminally). That would suck.**

**Enjoy your holiday! I'm jealous. I don't get to go anywhere this year. Have a drink for me! (That's what I normally tell my friends. If you're below your country's drinking age, I'm obviously not advocating that you drink. :) Feel free to make that a milkshake or a coffee or a good dessert or something.)**

**Sam: Thanks! Grayza was my first ship, so it'll always have a special place in my fangirl heart. I appreciate the review! :)  
**

**\- K. Chandler**

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It looked like Lyon had blown her off.

Their sparring practices were a weekly occurrence, and Lyon insisted on punctuality. But after waiting for him for nearly twenty minutes, Chelia was beginning to wonder if Lyon was planning to show up at all.

Not that Chelia was about to complain. It had been rainy all week, so the lawn was soaked. Wet grass was never fun to train in, but with his ice magic, Lyon always leveraged that to his advantage.

Tired of waiting, she went back inside the guild hall, sitting down across from Sherry, who was working through breakfast.

"Have you seen Lyon?" asked Chelia, helping herself to a pastry off her cousin's plate.

"He hasn't been in this morning," said Sherry. "Didn't he come to practice?"

Chelia shook her head. "It's super weird, 'cause he's usually pretty strict about it," she said with her mouth full.

Sherry gave a sympathetic hum, putting her fork down primly. "That cold of his must have finally caught up with him. Poor thing. That's so not _love_."

"_Cold_? You mean he's sick?" asked Chelia, making a face. That wasn't even possible. Lyon was ridiculously strong and inhumanly talented. There was no way he'd get wiped out by a little cold.

"Didn't you hear how awful he's been sounding?" asked Sherry, frowning. "Honestly, I'm surprised it didn't hit him sooner."

"He must be feeling pretty bad if he's skipping today," said Chelia. She couldn't remember the last time Lyon had cancelled practice. Of course, if he really was sick, that would explain why he hadn't bothered to call and cancel on her.

"Would you mind checking on him for me? Just to make sure he's all right," said Sherry. "That would be _love_."

"Sure thing!" said Chelia. "But don't you want to see him?"

"I would, but I have plans with Ren this afternoon," said Sherry. "I can stop by after though. Maybe bring him one of my special casseroles."

"I'm sure he'd like that," said Chelia. The one thing her cousin could cook reliably was her casseroles.

"See if he needs anything else—groceries or cough drops or whatever. I can pick something up on my way over," Sherry offered, still trying to make up for not stopping by right away.

"I'm sure it's fine," said Chelia, finishing the last of the pastry and licking the icing off her fingers. "It is Lyon, after all."

The walk to Lyon's wasn't long, though the damp weather didn't help. Chelia knocked twice, unsurprised when Lyon didn't come to the door. Chelia let herself in, glad that she had thought to ask Sherry for the spare key to Lyon's apartment.

"Hello? Lyon? Are you in there?"

A muffled cough was the only response.

Chelia looked around carefully, tiptoeing towards the bedroom. She poked her head in cautiously. As she expected, Lyon was in bed. He tossed fitfully under his mountain of blankets, dead to the world, but not exactly sleeping.

Chelia brushed the back of her hand over his forehead, careful not to disturb him. She noted his elevated temperature with clinical detachment. If it had been Sherry or one of the others, Chelia might have been concerned, but she had been the team's medic long enough to know that Lyon ran warm, as Ice Mages tended to. This was nothing, for him. Just a low-grade fever.

Of course, anyone who _didn't_ know that would likely have found Lyon's temperature more than a bit alarming. And Chelia could hear what might have been a rattle behind that hacking cough.

It would make Sherry fuss and worry, and Lyon might go a little crazy between sheer boredom and Sherry's near-constant nagging. But in Chelia's opinion, there was really nothing to be done here.

Lyon would probably be feeling pretty miserable, but it wasn't serious. He'd just have to wait it out and let his cold run its course. Besides, how bad could it be to curl up with a bowl of soup, watch movies and take a few days off? Chelia turned away, satisfied that her mentor wasn't at risk of keeling over and dying any time soon.

Pulling out her lacrima, she gave Sherry a quick call.

"Hey, Sherry. Yeah, I'm still at Lyon's. It's like we thought. He just has a cold. No big deal."

"Oh, I'm glad it's nothing too serious," said Sherry. "Does he need me to bring anything over?"

Chelia padded over to the kitchen, taking a peek in the refrigerator. "I don't think so," she said. "He seems to have stocked up pretty good. He's got plenty of food…" Then she wandered over to check Lyon's first aid supplies. "And plenty of medicine… No, I think if you just make your casserole like we talked about, we should be good."

"That would be _love_. Oh, can you check to make sure he's got something canned or boxed just in case he doesn't feel like making himself anything else," said Sherry. "One casserole isn't going to last more than a couple of meals and he'll be in the mood for something different afterwards anyways."

Chelia dug through Lyon's cupboards, shifting around cans and boxes of dry food. "I think we're okay. He's got cans of soup and boxed-mix stuff."

"Perfect!" said Sherry. "I'll see you when I get back, okay?"

"Sounds good!" chirped Chelia, ending the call.

As she put the dry goods back into the cupboard, Chelia realized what a golden opportunity she had been presented with. No-Lyon didn't just mean No-Sparring-Practice. It also meant there'd be no one to get in the way of her schemes.

Chelia didn't usually snoop. No, that would be an _awful_ thing to do. But she had already poked around his kitchen. What would be the harm of investigating, say, his desk? This was the perfect opportunity to find some blackmail material. And just what sort of dirt would she be able to dig up on dear, old, Lyon?

Grinning to herself, Chelia made a beeline for Lyon's desk. She flipped through his mail (all bills and junk), combed through his expenses (_boring_) and perused the towering stack of guild paperwork that he had taken home to finish.

But what caught her eye was the copy of Sorcerer Weekly that Lyon had left lying out. She was surprised to see it. Lyon hated Sorcerer Weekly, calling it a trashy gossip rag. Of course, he had an interesting relationship with the magazine. Because he typically avoided talking to them, there was always a lot of buzz whenever he relented to an interview. Of course, Sorcerer Weekly tended to portray Lyon in a negative light in retaliation. So, he'd decline their interviews. It was sort of a vicious cycle.

Thankfully, Chelia had no such reputation with the media. She was a total sweetheart and Sorcerer Weekly loved her for it, even if they didn't give her the front page this week.

The headline article was on the Junior Miss Guild Wizard talent competition that she had participated in last weekend. Though Chelia was proud of winning first place for the third year running, and pleased that Lyon was saving this article, she had a feeling that wasn't why he was keeping it.

The article itself was nothing special, just a dramatized account of the event, glamour shots of all the entrants and their final scores by category. But the photo gallery was another matter entirely.

"Ooh, pictures!" crooned Chelia.

The main photo was one of the Fairy Tail wizards, with their arms slung around each other's shoulders, grinning into the camera. She had posed for a similar picture with Sherry and Lyon. Chelia read the caption beneath it out loud. "'Newcomer Wendy Marvel steals the silver medal and our hearts! Fairy Tail rallies as their littlest Dragon Slayer makes the finals. From left to right: Juvia Lockser, Natsu Dragneel, Wendy Marvel, Gray Fullbuster and Lucy Heartfilia.' So that's Juvia, huh?" Chelia frowned, scrunching up her nose. "I guess she's kind of cute, at least."

It was no coincidence that the girl in this photo was the same one Lyon had gotten caught in the rain with. The one he was watching with that dopey-looking grin when he'd come back to their box…

Fighting a mischievous grin, Chelia slipped back into Lyon's room. She picked up his communication lacrima, pouting when she saw that it was locked.

No matter. Lyon was predictable and so was his password. It couldn't be that hard to guess.

Was it… his birthday? No, that wasn't right.

The date he joined Lamia Scale? Wrong again.

He wouldn't be using _Chelia's_ birthday, would he? Nope. Wishful thinking.

On a whim, Chelia entered the date that the Fairy Tail guild had been recovered on Tenrou Island.

The lacrima flashed briefly as Chelia gained entry.

"You should really choose a better password for this thing, Lyon," she said. "That only took me, what, like four tries?"

She wondered if the date he chose was significant because of his reunion with his old friend Gray. Or maybe it was because it was the day he had met one Juvia Lockser? Lyon would never tell, but Chelia was allowed to have her suspicions.

"Now let's see. Is there anything good here?"

Chelia flipped through Lyon's call history, noting the number of calls he'd had with this Juvia Lockser person.

"Definitely no coincidence."

Lyon stirred, coughing harshly. Chelia froze, praying that he wasn't about to wake up and catch her snooping. He would not appreciate that and would definitely get payback during their sparring session next week.

"Chelia?" he croaked.

"Chelia is not here right now," she intoned. She wasn't quite sure what she was doing, but she'd seen this in an old movie. Hopefully it would work!

"Chelia'snot here now?" Lyon mumbled.

"No. You never saw her," Chelia insisted.

"Never saw…" he slurred, breaking off with another cough.

"You're going to go back to sleep now. Everything's fine," said Cheila. "Sleep… Sleep…" Her shoulders slumped in relief when Lyon rolled over and went back to sleep. "It worked! Score!"

But that cough really did sound awful. And with a fever like that one…

Ooh, the possibilities! Chelia couldn't help but grin.

Wasting no time, she copied down Juvia's contact information before carefully replacing Lyon's lacrima on his desk. Then, as quietly as she could, she made her way towards the front door, practically skipping. She let herself out and locked it behind her. Then, Chelia lifted up the corner of the doormat and kicked Sherry's key underneath.

"You'll thank me for this later, Lyon," she said.

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**What do you suppose our little troublemaker Chelia is going to do?**

**Next time, in ****_[Mazeverse] Under the Weather_, Chelia plays matchmaker.** _"Maybe you could come check on him, just to be sure?" wheedled Chelia._

**Stop back next Friday for the next installment, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Happy Friday!  
**

**This chapter's from Juvia's PoV. It was a good opportunity to play with some of her canon traits and have them manifest in different ways. Actually there's a lot of 'Edolas-style' or 'Alice-in-Wonderland-style' nods to canon in this fic. They're very similar, but just different enough that collectively, they start to alter the universe. See if you can spot the pineapple! (That's a Psych reference, BTW.)**

**I forgot to point this out last week. M**y headcanon for this verse is that ice mages run warm (as opposed to cool, which is the more common assumption). I flesh the theory out in an A/N in _Snowbound_, but the gist is that it's part of their ice molding magic. I don't know that it makes complete sense - this might be the only universe where I'm going what that particular theory. **********Why does this matter? A** slight temperature for an ice mage (on top of an already elevated normal temperature) would be somebody else's idea of burning up. Keep this in mind as you read this chapter. :)  
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********Ren: LOL! Chelia has everyone else fooled. She looks innocent an sweet, but you and I know that she is the quintessential troublemaker. I absolutely relate, because I was such a little brat as a kid. ********

********Fun, ridiculous story. I used to have a little, blue plastic kid-chair, which I loved. When I'd get into trouble, my mom would put that chair in the corner of our my room and I'd get a 'time-out'. One time, after doing something bad (don't remember what, at this point), I started asking questions. _Why? _********_********If time-out meant that I just couldn't play with toys or watch TV, why couldn't I sit in the middle of the hallway? ********_********_Why my room and not the kitchen? Why this chair and not that one? Why?_ At that point, mom strictly defined time-out as _that chair_, in _that corner_, of _that room_, for fifteen minutes. Knowing that, what did I do? I broke the time out chair. (It wasn't that hard to do... it was flimsy plastic.) No more chair, no more time out. XD That was me at age three.  
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********On a related note, all the fictional chaos that I cause and all the trollish, trouble-making, loophole-finding, contrarian things that I write... you can see that it's just a part of who I am. XD Apparently, there's no changing me, lol.********

**\- K. Chandler**

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The call caught Juvia on her way out the door.

"H-hello? Hello? Is this Juvia?" The caller was female with a distinctly childish way of speaking.

"Yes, this is she. Who—"

"Oh, thank goodness!" the other girl blurted. "Juvia, you have to come right away. It's urgent and—"

Juvia pulled her lacrima away from her ear, wincing at how quickly the other girl was speaking. "I'm sorry. _Who_ is this?"

"Oh—_sorry_! My name's Chelia. Chelia Blendy."

Juvia frowned, repeating the name to herself. Where had she heard that name before?

"I'm in Lamia Scale, with Lyon," Chelia supplied.

"Oh, that's right. Hello, Chelia!"

"Hi. Um… so… we haven't actually met, but… you're Lyon's friend, right? Juvia? Did I get it right?"

"Yes, that's right," said Juvia.

Chelia sounded panicked as she continued. "It's Lyon. I'm really worried and—"

"Slow down, Chelia," interrupted Juvia. "What about Lyon?"

There was a pause on the other end. "Lyon and I always train on Tuesdays," said Chelia. "But he didn't show up this morning. I tried calling him, but he's not answering his lacrima."

"Now, Chelia, I'm sure everything's fine," said Juvia.

"Maybe you could come check on him, just to be sure?" wheedled Chelia.

"Chelia…" said Juvia gently. The plaintive tone of the little girl's voice was hard to say no to.

Chelia's tone changed suddenly. "He's sick, Juvia! And I'm really worried," she said.

"H-he is?" asked Juvia, unable to quell the flutter of worry in her chest. She could hear the distress in Chelia's voice.

"Yeah. Really, _really_ sick. Like, bad. And I'm worried. And I'm _really_ scared. And I don't know what to do, Juvia… And you have to come over. Like, right now," insisted Chelia, her voice small.

"Chelia, I can't," said Juvia. "It's Tuesday…"

"What does that have to do with anything?" demanded Chelia.

"Well…"

Juvia had hoped to catch Gray at the guild today. He'd said he was free to hang out and she wanted to ask him to go on a job with her, maybe try to get to know him better.

"_Please_, Juvia. I don't know who else to call."

Juvia hesitated, biting her lip. She had really wanted to meet Gray today. She had been looking forward to it!

"He needs you. Like, right _now_."

Guilt tightened in Juvia's chest.

This was _Lyon_. Lyon, who always had time to listen to her problems whenever she called. Lyon, who would help her think through her situation with Gray. Lyon who had time to take her shopping and offer his opinion. He always seemed to have time for things like that.

But with a team of his own, Lyon there was no way he was always free when she called. No. He _made_ time for her. To talk with her. To reassure her. To offer advice. Lyon was just a good friend.

Now, it was Juvia's turn to be a good friend too.

"I… I'll be on the next train over," said Juvia.

"Yes!" cheered Chelia. "I mean… Oh, good. I'm so glad!" she said, her voice small and childish again.

Juvia grabbed her bag as she confirmed Lyon's address with Chelia.

Seeing Gray just would have to wait. This was more important.

Juvia rushed to the station, managing to catch the train just as it was leaving. But the trip was taking far longer than Juvia thought it would.

Lyon would come to visit her in Magnolia whenever she needed his help, and he always made it seem like nothing at all.

_"I'll be over in a bit," he'd say._

_"Are you sure? Juvia wouldn't want to trouble you."_

_"It's no trouble. I borrowed something of Gray's that I've been meaning to return anyways."_

Juvia had only made the trip once herself, but that had been a happy occasion. She had been excited for Lyon to teach her how to bake cookies, so the train ride hadn't seemed long at all. But time seemed to slow when all she could do was worry.

She tugged at her curls anxiously as she watched the landscape blur out the train window. She couldn't help the concern that weighed heavy in her stomach. Chelia had made Lyon's condition sound fairly severe.

What if he were _really_ sick? He could have Ebola or tetanus or appendicitis or pneumonia! People died from that, didn't they? What if he was _dying_? What if—

Juvia shook her head sharply. Her overactive imagination was not doing her any favors.

It was nearly one-thirty when the she finally arrived at the Margaret Town Station. Juvia pushed her way off the train, even before it had fully come to a stop.

She still remembered the way to Lyon's apartment from the last time she had visited. It had been winter then, snow clinging to trees and rooftops. But with the intermittent drizzle and gray skies, today looked much the same.

Luckily, Juvia found the spare that Lyon kept under the doormat, right where Chelia had said it would be. It was a good thing too. Even though Juvia's waterbody would have allowed her to enter without a key, Juvia was certain that Lyon would have voiced disapproval at that.

_"You can't just come into somebody's house without their permission," he had told her. "That's breaking and entering."_

_"How is it breaking and entering? Juvia's not breaking anything," she pointed out. "And Natsu does it all the time."_

_"Natsu's an idiot," Lyon said disdainfully. "He's asking for a restraining order from What's-Her-Name."_

_"Her name's Lucy," said Juvia smugly. "Not Love Rival. Lucy. And you lecture Juvia for doing that!"_

_"She's your teammate, not mine," he shrugged._

_"That's no excuse not to know her name," mimicked Juvia, trying to keep a straight face as she lowered her voice to match his. But she giggled when Lyon snorted, his dark eyes dancing with amusement when she parroted his words back at him._

Lyon's place was just as Juvia had remembered it. She slipped off her damp shoes and dropped her bag on the floor next to the sofa.

"Lyon, it's Juvia! Chelia said you weren't feeling well?"

No response.

Her forehead creased with worry, Chelia's words echoing in her head. But Juvia forced herself to be logical. Lyon had probably gone back to bed. That was probably why he hadn't heard Chelia earlier and why he wasn't answering now.

Juvia let out a short breath, relieved to see that she was right and her imagination was wrong.

Lyon had at least three comforters pulled all the way up to his chin. His sickly complexion was made even paler by his fair hair. He dozed fitfully, his breathing harsh and labored.

Juvia twirled her hair anxiously, crouching down beside the bed. For Lyon to be weak or helpless was beyond unsettling. He was steady, deliberate and rational. Lyon was the pillar she leaned on to stay grounded. Juvia hadn't realized how much she had come to rely on him.

Carefully, Juvia smoothed Lyon's sweaty hair out of his face, her fingers brushing against his forehead. The heat made her recoil, tearing her hand away. Panic bubbled in her chest.

"Hey," she said, shaking his shoulder gently. "Lyon? Lyon, it's Juvia. Can you hear me?"

Lyon let out an unhappy groan. His eyelids fluttered open as he blinked up at her. "Juvia…?" His voice was low and ragged, making Juvia wince.

"Yeah. Hey…" Juvia's smile was one of relief.

"What…? How did you…?" he mumbled, his forehead creasing in confusion. He turned his head to cough miserably into his shoulder.

"Chelia called me. She sounded really worried. How do you feel?"

"_Chelia_?" he repeated, still frowning.

"Yes, Chelia. _From your guild_," she reminded him. Lyon's confusion was concerning. Was he so sick he was delirious?

"How…" He shook his head, clearing his throat when his voice caught. "How did you even get in here?" he asked.

"I used the spare key under your doormat."

"Spare key? _What_ spare key?" he croaked.

Juvia bit her lip, trying to stay calm. "I think you need to rest. You're running a high fever and I think you're a little bit out of it right now," she said gently.

"Hm?" Lyon fumbled an arm out of his blanket cocoon, pressing an indifferent wrist to his forehead. "Oh. I suppose I might be a little bit feverish, maybe," he observed.

"What do you mean _maybe_?" cried Juvia. "A _little_? You're burning up! _And_ I think you might be delirious and—"

"_Juvia!_" he barked, his sharp tone interrupting her panicked tirade. "Would you—" Lyon broke off in a fit of deep, chesty coughs that racked his entire frame. He pushed himself up on his elbow unsteadily, his other hand digging at his chest.

Juvia moved to support him, slipping an arm around his shoulders. She could feel the heat roll off him in worrying waves through the fabric of his t-shirt. She eased him up all the way, hoping fervently that the change in position would help him catch his breath. And it did, though the fit left Lyon winded when his lungs finally settled.

"Would you calm down? It's really not half as bad as you might think," he wheezed, letting himself sag back against his headboard. Lyon cleared his throat again, wincing. "Look, it's hard to explain. You're just going to have to trust me. Okay? Everything's fine."

Juvia nodded. She didn't buy his explanation. Not one bit. But her distress wasn't helping matters. It was making _him_ try to reassure _her_. Of course, wasn't that always the case?

Juvia had never paid much attention to it, but Lyon always made it all about her. Her questions, her insecurities, her happiness. He wasn't obvious about it, but he showered her with attention in a way that no one else ever had. Not Gray and not Gajee and certainly not Bora. It made her feel a little bit spoiled.

But not today. Today, she'd return the favor. Today was about taking care of him.

"Did you take anything for it?" she asked.

"Hm?" He blinked blearily at her.

"Did you take anything for it?" she repeated slowly. "Medicine? Something?"

Lyon shook his head, making a noise that sounded like a no.

"Let me get you something for the fever. We can figure that cough out later. I'll be right back," she said, giving his knee a comforting squeeze as she stood.

For a second, he just stared blankly as if he didn't understand. Then he nodded. "Kitchen. Right side of the sink. Second drawer down," he croaked.

Juvia nodded, hoping fervently that his words were directions to a stash of helpful supplies and not just delirious ramblings.

Juvia was in luck. The drawer that Lyon was using in lieu of a medicine cabinet seemed to be stocked with all the essentials. Pain relievers, cough suppressant, antacids, fever reducers, night-time cold medicine and antihistamines. Juvia took note of what things might be helpful later, and she returned to Lyon's bedside with a glass of water, a bottle of ibuprofen, and a washcloth to use as a cold compress.

"Here," she said, handing him the pills and pressing the glass of water into his palm. "Relax, okay? Why don't you lie back down?" She relieved him of the empty glass and eased him back down gently.

"But… I have to…" he protested weakly. "I should call Chelia and cancel practice."

"I'll call Chelia," said Juvia, not bothering to mention that practice had come and gone.

"What about the reports I was supposed to finish? I'm behind on my paperwork."

"Give it fifteen minutes," she said, putting a hand on his shoulder to keep him from moving. "Just until the pills start working. If your temperature starts coming down, and you start feeling better, _then_ you can do your paperwork."

Lyon made a noise of displeasure, but didn't try to get back up. He let his eyes droop shut as Juvia lay the dampened washcloth across his forehead.

Lyon looked younger with his hair unstyled and his expression relaxed. It made him seem innocent… and almost vulnerable.

Sometimes, Lyon reminded Juvia of Gajee.

Despite his façade of superiority and a bluntness that could be down-right abrasive, Juvia knew that Lyon was a caretaker. He protected his team, he mentored Chelia, he kept an eye on Gray and still found time to look out for her.

Was it possible that he needed someone to look after him too?

Juvia carded her fingers through Lyon's hair gently. Juvia had always been a strong believer in physical comfort. There was no better way to communicate sympathy, affection or caring than through a hug or a pat on the shoulder.

"Juvia…" he mumbled.

"I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere," she said. She'd have to step out to call Chelia in a little bit to reassure her that Lyon was in good hands, but for now, she could sit with him.

"Thank you," sighed Lyon.

"No debt between friends," said Juvia, smiling. It seemed fitting, since those were his very words to her the last time she had come over, all those months ago.

"Friends, huh?" he mumbled.

"Of course."

For what else would they be?

* * *

**I'm not sure it's entirely obvious, but Chelia's being extra childish when she calls Juvia. We don't get that in the narration, since Juvia doesn't pick up on it.**

**For the record, I don't see this as Juvia choosing Lyon over Gray. It was a kind gesture, but I mean, did she have a choice? All she's really doing is prioritizing a friend who actually needs her (Lyon, because he's sick) over another friend doesn't (Gray probably didn't realize she was planning to stop by). The big one, for me, though, is that she picked Lyon over satisfying her own current desires (to hang out with Gray). That's being a good friend.  
**

**Next time, in ****_[Mazeverse] Under the Weather,_**** Juvia takes to the kitchen: **_"You don't have to eat it if you don't feel up to it, but I'm cooking for you no matter what you say."_

**Stop back next Friday for the next installment, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Happy Friday! And it's the best day of the week. I cannot remember the last time I've so looked forward to the weekend. It's been beyond crazy this week... Ugh. But we're getting close to the madness ending, so that'll be good.  
**

**Quick reminder - Juvia's mixing pronouns here. This is intentional (on my part, at least). She's not entirely conscious of it. Although third-person speech actually means something in Japanese (and is probably more akin to not using contractions, which is what I think Funimation went with in the dub), I'm using it to symbolize something else in this universe. Normally, I'd say something like, "guess what it means!" But I think throwing that particular gauntlet so soon would almost be cruel to those who like puzzles and codes. There's a few different things going on, and there are likely more red herrings than clues at this point. So, I'll just say keep an eye out. If you think you see something, shout it out! Otherwise, keep looking; it'll come together soon.  
**

**Ren: No judgement here, my friend! Safe space for obscure ships. :) Okay, technically Lyvia isn't _obscure_ (Jenny X Toby is obscure), but they're far from popular these days. Why I've decided to help champion unloved and underappreciated ships, I don't know. :) Maybe because most of my ships are weird? My track record is _horrible_. Literally, the only show (where there was more than one possible pairing) that I got right was Ouran. (To be fair, it's not like Ouran was a show that kept you guessing...) ****I'm not a big fan of spoilers, but I'm at the point where I'll watch the last minute of a show's finale just to know who I'm supposed to root for. But I'm rambling... :) I'm glad to hear that you're enjoying. Thanks for the review!**

**\- K. Chandler**

* * *

Rain tapped at the window.

Lyon awoke to a heaviness in his chest and a lightness in his head. He should have suspected it'd blow up on him like this. He'd been nursing a sore throat for a couple of days, but now it felt like someone had taken a grater to his vocal cords.

His vision was still a little blurry from just waking up, but Lyon guessed it was late in the afternoon. With the rain, it was hard to tell. Lyon squinted at his window, annoyed at himself for sleeping half the day away. The worst part was that it hadn't been worth it. The congestion and coughing made it impossible to get any real rest, so he still didn't feel any better.

Still, it hadn't been a complete loss. He had dreamed that Juvia had come to take care of him. Of course, that was the sort of fantasy that would only come from the ravings of a feverish mind. He was still a little bit too warm, and it was filling his brain with ridiculous notions.

He was more than a little bit in love with her, but there was no way Juvia would come all the way to Margaret Town for him. Ah, but it had been a very nice dream.

Lyon shoveled the blankets away, pulling his sluggish limbs free. A tepid washcloth flopped into Lyon's lap as he made to stand up.

Maybe it _wasn't_ a dream…

It could have been his imagination, but Lyon thought heard a shuffling step and the clink of someone in his kitchen.

"That you, Juvie?" he choked. His voice was raspy and talking was painful.

He stumbled out of his room, unhappy at how unsteady and lethargic he felt. Just breathing normally was a chore. His chest hurt and if he took too deep a breath it was sure to set of another miserable fit of coughing.

Lyon stopped short as he passed the kitchen. He leaned against the door frame, suddenly feeling a very different kind of breathless.

The girl of his dreams was leaning against his kitchen counter, acting, for all the world, like she _belonged_ there. She had a book open, one finger trailing down the page. It was beyond surreal.

Being in front of her made Lyon suddenly self-conscious about how hot and sticky and _wretched_ he felt. Of course, who knew how long she had been here? It had been quite a while if his not-a-dream was anything to go by. Trying not to look like a mess was probably futile, at this point.

Juvia didn't seem to mind. She looked up when he came in, abandoning her book in favor checking his temperature. "Lyon! Are you feeling any better?" she asked, running cool fingers across his sweaty forehead.

He hummed noncommittally. He didn't have the heart to tell her that it would take more than a couple of pills and a nap to get him back to a hundred percent. He cleared his throat, trying to get rid of the tickle that wouldn't leave him alone.

"How long did I sleep?" he asked instead.

"A couple hours," shrugged Juvia.

"Sorry," he mumbled, fighting the urge to hack up a lung. "I haven't been a very good host, have I?"

"Don't be. You can't help being sick. Besides, I'm not here for you to entertain me."

Lyon nodded, taking another careful breath to avoid triggering an inevitable bought of coughing. "Well, I doubt you came all this way to watch me sleep…" he said dryly.

"Would you believe that voyeurism is a hobby of mine?" she said, her expression serious. "I've had a lot of practice, so I'm quite good at it."

Lyon stared. Then he choked out a startled laugh. The air caught in his chest, making him cough hard. He doubled over, turning his head to hack into his elbow as he gripped the edge of the counter for support.

"Sorry… Juvia was just teasing!" she cried, sounding alarmed.

He clutched at his heaving chest as he fought for air. His vision had started to swim, and his lungs burned with each forceful hack. Juvia's touch was cool against his feverish skin as her hand joined his.

"I've got you," said Juvia softly, her other hand settling on his back. Her eyes were wide and frightened, but she didn't falter. "No more jokes, I promise…"

"I'm… okay…" he gasped, rubbing the heel of his palm against his aching chest as he straightened.

"I think you should sit," she said. "Here, come on." Her blue eyes were big and concerned. Juvia grabbed his arm, half supporting and half dragging him.

"I apologize for being such a nuisance," he wheezed, letting her steer him to his couch.

Juvia shook her head. "You're not. My turn to take care of you today," she said.

Lyon leaned back, shutting his eyes. He took slow breaths, trying to find a comfortable position.

"Can I get you anything?" she asked tentatively. "A blanket or something? Do you want to lie down?"

Lyon shook his head. "I'm all right. This is actually better, believe it or not," he mumbled.

He felt the cushions shift as Juvia sat down next to him. "You sound awful. Maybe you should see a doctor?" she said quietly. "I can even come with you."

Eyes still closed, Lyon shook his head again. "It's really nothing to worry about. It's just a cold," he said. It was a relatively safe assumption, given the absence of the aching muscles and skull-pounding headaches that typically accompanied the flu.

"It doesn't _sound_ like just a cold."

"Well, it is," he insisted. "I catch anything and it goes straight to my chest. Always been like that."

"That sounds miserable," she said, her voice dipping in sympathy.

Lyon shrugged, wondering if he should mention that this sort of thing happened to him every couple of years. "It's not a big deal. In fact, I typically manage to avoid this sort of thing."

"Really?" asked Juvia. "How do you do that?"

"Easy. By not getting sick. What else?"

"This is all my fault," she sighed.

Lyon opened his eyes, turning to shoot her a look. "How is this _your_ fault?"

"I'm the reason you got caught out in the rain over the weekend," she said, squirming guiltily. "That's why you're sick."

"How is that..." Lyon broke off, shaking his head. "Juvia. Don't be stupid. That wasn't your fault," he said. "Besides, you don't get sick from rain. You get sick from _germs_."

"Still…" Juvia wrung her hands.

"Look, there's no sense in worrying about it now," he said. It wasn't like she could do anything about it at this point.

"Do you want me to make you something to eat?" asked Juvia.

"Do I want you to burn down my kitchen?" he deadpanned, falling into their usual banter.

"_Lyon_!"

"I'm just being realistic," he said matter-of-factly. "You remember what happened last time." The last time he had seen her cook, she had… struggled a bit. Actually, 'a bit' was being generous.

"I didn't burn anything down last time!" she pouted. "And besides, if I start a fire, I'll use my water magic to put it out."

Lyon shook his head, the corners of his mouth quirking in amusement. "That's not terribly reassuring," he said.

She smiled, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Well, maybe Juvia should just—" she started to say, but she cut herself off, smoothing out her expression quickly. "Juvia promised she wouldn't joke anymore," she said, folding her hands in her lap primly. "So what are you in the mood for? Soup?"

"Look, don't worry about it, Juvie. It's not like I'm dying or anything," he added, clearing his throat with a wince. With the way she was fussing over him, one would think he had contracted the plague or something.

"Juvia should hope not!" she exclaimed, reaching over to check his temperature again, a worried frown on her face again.

"What I meant is you don't have to do anything more for me," he amended. "Honestly, I can't really taste much of anything right now and I don't really have much of an appetite. It really isn't worth the trouble."

"What if Juvia makes something and puts it away for later?" insisted Juvia. "You have to eat something eventually."

"I don't want you to feel like you have to," said Lyon.

Juvia nodded. "I know I don't have to. But I _want_ to. Juvia's made up her mind, Lyon," she said, returning to the kitchen. "You don't have to eat it if you don't feel up to it, but I'm cooking for you no matter what you say."

Lyon's living room was almost open plan, so he could see the kitchen from the couch. He watched Juvia busy herself in the kitchen, humming to herself and consulting the book he had seen her reading earlier.

"Do you need any help in there?" called Lyon. He dragged the back of his wrist over his sweaty forehead. It was far too hot…

"I'm okay," said Juvia.

"Are you sure?"

"Actually, where do you keep your—never mind, I found it! I didn't mention it before, but I've been learning how to cook."

"You have?" he croaked. Lyon cleared his throat. "When did this happen?"

"A couple of months ago," she said. "It was just little things at first. But Juvia's gotten pretty good at it. We've added Juvia to the meal rotation at Fairy Hills," she said. "I cook every other Thursday."

"What sort of things do you make?" asked Lyon.

"All kinds of things," said Juvia cheerfully. "Pasta. Meatloaf. Bread. The girls say that my buns are the best! I used to make them from a box mix, but I'm learning to make them from scratch. Even when it's not my night to cook, sometimes I'll help out with some garlic bread sticks or sweet rolls."

"From scratch? You really _have_ gotten good."

"Maybe. Half the time, they don't rise right. Yeast is tricky. But, that's one of the reasons I wanted to cook for you," said Juvia. "I sort of wanted to show off and maybe get your opinion."

"Juvia… remember I told you that I can't really taste anything right now?" Lyon reminded her. "I doubt my opinion's worth very much."

"Juvia knows," she said, turning back towards the stove. "Which is why Juvia expects you to call her once you're better and tell her what you think then."

"Fair enough."

Lyon couldn't quite see what Juvia was doing, but he couldn't help but imagine her there, in his apartment. She'd be in her bare feet, no makeup, messy ponytail, maybe wearing one of his sweatshirts. They'd make dinner together and she'd tell him about her day. It was an oddly domestic picture, but there was a part of him that felt like Juvia belonged here. With him.

The other part of him suspected that he was as delirious as Juvia believed him to be. Because that would never happen. Never. She had made it very clear where her heart lay, and it wasn't with him.

But he could always dream.

"All done," said Juvia, turning off the stove top with a click. "We can just let it simmer and you can have some if you feel like eating or we can put it away for later."

"So what did you make?" he asked.

"Um… I'm not entirely sure," she admitted.

"_What_? What do you mean you aren't sure?"

"It's some kind of rice-soup-thing. With vegetables," said Juvia, squinting at her book. "It's got an Isvan name and I don't know how to read it," she admitted with an awkward half-smile.

"What are you doing with a book of recipes from Isvan?" asked Lyon, stifling a cough in his fist.

"Gray," said Juvia, smiling slightly.

"Makes sense," said Lyon, coughing again.

He had been wondering when Gray's name would turn up. He couldn't help but feel a little swell of disappointment that it finally had.

"Here. I've made you some tea, too. See if this helps," she said, appearing beside him. She help pressed a warm, ceramic mug into his hands.

Lyon accepted the mug, nodding his thanks. He breathed the steam in slowly, letting it ease the tightness in his chest.

She'd made him tea… _Gray_ preferred tea. Lyon had always been a coffee drinker.

Lyon knew that Juvia was going to all this effort for him. She'd been an absolute angel today. As much as he wanted to be grateful, this was just one more painful reminder that he'd always hold second place in her heart. If he had a spot at all, that was. Part of him couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. Maybe even a little bit jealous.

"Is it okay?" asked Juvia. "I know you like coffee better, but I'm not sure that's a good choice right now."

Lyon choked, surprised that she had noticed, let alone remembered. Was it possible that Juvia saw him as more than someone to talk about Gray with?

"What's wrong? Is it too sweet for you? I know you never put sugar in your coffee, but the honey is supposed should help soothe your throat, but maybe I put too much in…" she fretted.

He shook his head, embarrassed at ever doubting her. "No, I think it's helping," he said quickly.

"Really?" she asked, sounding a little skeptical.

He gave her a reassuring smile. "It's quite good, Juvia. Thank you."

Juvia smiled back, her eyes soft. "I'm glad," she said quietly.

She'd never given him _that_ look before. And Lyon couldn't help but wonder if it meant something. But that was probably just the fever talking.

"Lyon, do you think Gray would—" Juvia started. Then she pressed her lips together suddenly, cutting herself off.

"What?" asked Lyon, fighting to keep his tone neutral. He really didn't want to talk about this.

"Don't worry about it," she said. "It's not important."

Lyon frowned. "Did something happen between you two?"

"Not at all," said Juvia. "You shouldn't have to worry about that when you aren't feeling well. That's all."

"You don't have to hold yourself back on my account," said Lyon quickly. His jealousy was no reason to deprive Juvia of what she wanted. He had known from the start that Gray would always come first and foremost in Juvia's mind. It was something that he had come to accept, at this point.

Juvia shook her head. "We're not talking about that," she said firmly.

Her declaration surprised Lyon, and he couldn't help the little bubble of hope that rose in his chest. But he pushed that foolish hope away before he got too optimistic. With his fever-addled brain, he couldn't guarantee that he wouldn't say something he'd later regret.

"Let's talk about you, then," he said. "How've you been?"

"Are you sure you want to hear about _me_?" asked Juvia with a frown. "We always talk about me. Why don't we talk about you?"

"It might be best if I rest my voice, but I'd love if you'd entertain me with some of your stories. I always enjoy hearing them," said Lyon honestly.

Juvia smiled at that. "Well, if you insist…"

"I do."

So Juvia told him about taking jobs with Gajeel and going shopping with the girls and having misadventures in the kitchen. She had such a bubbly personality and Lyon couldn't help but feel drawn to her, just like he had been when they'd first met. Of course, she'd rejected him right away and he'd held back. He had resolved to offer her nothing more than his friendship, so it wouldn't make her feel uncomfortable. But he was on a slippery slope, about to fall for her all over again, even though he had promised himself he wouldn't.

Despite this, he couldn't help but feel that there was something different today. Different than it was, so many snowy months ago, when she had last visited. Many of her stories were still about Gray, but today, most of them were about other people: Cana, Gajeel, Mirajane and even Lucy. Lyon wondered if Juvia had made enough progress with Gray to make her feel more secure in her position. Or perhaps it was something else entirely.

* * *

**Ah, hope is a double edged sword. Beautiful and painful at the same time. Because this is Mazeverse, and perspectives are more important than the events themselves. We should take bets. Do you think Juvia is actually changing? Do you think we're getting a very one-sided report from someone who is just a little too in love?  
**

**Also, Juvia alluded to it briefly, but it's probably worth mentioning. This story probably feels a bit unbalanced in that it's basically just Juvia looking after Lyon. Some of you might be wondering (since I've mentioned it when I discuss relationships between characters in other A/N): what happened to meeting each other half-way? Balanced relationships? Give and take? In this case, I think it's justified, but only because of the stories that came before it in the Mazeverse series. If you search "Mazeverse, Lyvia", just about every other piece in this series has been Lyon's unconditional support of Juvia's Gray-centric pursuits. Now, Juvia's sort of working double-time to shift things back into balance. **

**Next time, in ****_[Mazeverse] Under the Weather_****: **_ "I think you should get back," he said. "You've wasted enough of your day on me."_

**Stop back next Friday for the next installment, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Happy Friday!  
**

**There's a Don't Try This At Home in this chapter. See if you can spot it before you reach the end.  
**

**guest: You can always have hope, if you like to play with danger :) Kudos to you for figuring out the Juvia thing! That's _exactly_ what it is (at this point). The minute she gets flustered or upset, she slips back into the more comfortable (for her) third. ******Think of it like learning a new language - you have to overwrite the way you normally express yourself. Once she gets caught back in third, **she'll stay there until until she calms down and can consciously push herself back to first. But she's still sort of inconsistent. You'll see the odd blips here and there where she flips back and forth for no apparent reason. I considered taking that out for consistency, but that didn't feel right. It would imply a level of control that Juvia doesn't yet have. Thanks again!  
**

**\- K. Chandler**

* * *

They'd been talking for the better part of the afternoon. Or rather, she'd been talking while Lyon nursed the tea that she had made for him.

"And that's pretty much it," said Juvia. "Typical Fairy Tail."

"Juvia, you still haven't told me how you got here," he reminded her.

Juvia gave a conflicted frown. "I told you," she said, speaking to him as if he were a small child. "Chelia called me and told me to hurry over. So I did. I took the first train over, and I let myself in with your spare key," she said slowly.

"Hang on. Juvia. I don't have a spare key," said Lyon.

Something here just wasn't right. Chelia. Spare key. Juvia. Hurry. Lyon's brain worked against the fog. What was really going on here?

It was strange. He'd dreamed about Chelia, but that probably didn't mean anything.

Crafty Chelia. Excitable Juvia. Hurry over…

That_ girl_!

Lyon sagged back against the couch, giving a low moan. "I _swear_ I'm going to kill her…"

"What's the matter? Lyon?" asked Juvia anxiously.

"Juvia, we've been played," he sighed.

"What are you talking about, Lyon? You aren't making any sense," she said, her eyes worried.

"I told you," he said, shaking his head. "I don't _have_ a spare key."

"Then what was it that I found under your doormat?" she asked, holding up the key she had used to let herself in.

He shot her a withering look when his eye landed on the blue ribbon that Sherry used to mark the key as being his. "Who puts a ribbon on a spare key?" he croaked. He swallowed against the catch in his throat. "Especially one that they're hiding under a dirty, old doormat?"

"You?" asked Juvia.

"Do I look like I'm into bows and ribbons?" asked Lyon dryly. "No?"

Juvia blinked, bewildered. "I… I think… it's time for another dose. Your fever's obviously spiked," she said, reaching for his forehead for what had to be the fifth time since he woke up.

Exasperated, Lyon pushed her hand away. "Humor me for a minute. See that table there, next to the door? And the bowl on it? What do you see in there?"

Juvia gave him a sympathetic look before checking the bowl like he asked. "Loose change. And a key ring," said Juvia, holding up a set of keys, each a different design. She tilted her head, eyes round and inquisitive. "If I didn't know better, Lyon, I'd think you were training to be a Celestial Wizard. What are all these?"

"Do any of them look like they belong with this apartment?" he asked.

"Well, now that you mention it, they don't." Juvia held up the so-called spare she had used to let herself in and compared it to the mismatched set on the ring.

"That's Toby's. That one goes to Sherry and Chelia's. And that one's Yuka's," said Lyon, as Juvia touched each one.

"You've all exchanged keys?"

"It took a lot of trust, but it made sense in case of an emergency. Especially with how dangerous guild work can be. But my point is, Chelia could have let herself in at any time," he informed her. His eyes widened as a hazy memory surfaced. Maybe that really wasn't a dream. "In fact, I'm almost certain that she did."

Juvia shook her head, her eyes wide. "That's not possible. You didn't hear her when she called me. Lyon, she sounded like she was in tears!"

"Why am I not surprised?" said Lyon flatly. He was used to Chelia's tricks, but this was a new level of ridiculous.

"You're being unfair," said Juvia. "Chelia's just a little girl. She was worried about you. And your being sick scared her!"

Lyon was entirely unsympathetic. "She's fifteen. She's not a child, regardless of how she pretends, though she seems to have taken you in entirely…" he said. "Besides, Chelia's a God-Slayer. She has healing magic, sort of like your Wendy does. If she had wanted to help, she could have. Or she could have sent anyone from my team to check up on me. Any of them would have gotten here faster than you would have. And they could have let themselves in. _Clearly_, she didn't think it serious enough to bother with."

"Then, why did she call _me_?" asked Juvia, her features pulling downwards in confusion.

"I told you. We've been played!" Lyon broke off with a harsh cough, his lungs tightening painfully. Juvia pried the half-empty mug from his hands to keep him from spilling it on himself.

Juvia rubbed his arm, shushing him. "You're okay. You're okay. Just breathe, okay?" Her voice soft and soothing as she murmured her reassurances.

It took more than a minute for Lyon's cough to settle. Finally, he slumped back onto the sofa, trying to catch his breath. One hand stayed pressed against his still-heaving chest, his palm digging at an ache that he couldn't quite soothe.

As he gasped for air, he realized: _this_ is what it would be like. Having Juvia here to look after him. To care for him, the way he cared about her. Granted, being sick all the time would be awful, but it might just be worth it if he could keep Juvia by his side like this.

Eh, maybe it wasn't _quite_ worth it. But almost.

"You okay?" she asked, peering into his face anxiously.

Lyon nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

"Let me get you some more tea."

"How about some of that soup too?" he croaked.

"Really?" she asked, her eyes lighting up.

"Just a little bit," he said. He still wasn't hungry, and the thought of trying to get anything solid down his raw throat made him cringe, but the smile that Juvia gave him made it worth it.

Juvia returned momentarily, with half a bowl of soup and some more tea. She balanced them on a cookie sheet that she was using as a tray. She set the tray in his lap.

"Do you want me to…" Juvia's eyes darted to the spoon before going back up to meet his.

Lyon's mouth quirked in amusement. Surely, she wasn't suggesting…

But her expression was too serious for her to be joking.

"Don't…" he said, staying her hand before she got any more ideas. Her fingers were cool beneath his fevered skin.

As much as he would have appreciated having Juvia spoon-feed him the soup she'd made, Lyon knew she didn't mean anything by it. That was just Juvia's typical enthusiasm overtaking her good sense and any semblance of personal boundaries. It wouldn't have been fair of him to take advantage of her good-will, as much as he would have enjoyed it.

"You're sure?" she asked, earnestly, her fingers twitching under his. "I can help."

"Quite sure," he said, prying the spoon out from beneath her fingers. Lyon reached for the bowl, balancing the cookie-sheet tray on his knees. It was filled with what looked more like a stew than a soup. It was a warm, golden color, with specks of pale rice and vibrant vegetables floating on top. It looked delicious. He gave it a stir before bringing a spoonful to his lips. Thankfully, it wasn't too hard to swallow.

"Is it any good?" asked Juvia. "You don't have to eat it if you don't like it," she added.

"Don't worry so much. It's fine," said Lyon. The soup wasn't _bad_, but it wasn't good either. Although, he was pretty sure he had his cold to blame for that one and not Juvia's cooking. Everything tasted wrong when he was sick.

The real tragedy was the fact he was too congested to even smell it. If he wasn't, he imagined his house probably smelled pretty good.

"You're sure?" she asked anxiously. "Honestly?"

"Honestly…?" Lyon gave her a rueful smile. "You picked the wrong day to ask me. I still can't taste much of anything."

"So it could be awful?" asked Juvia.

"I highly doubt that," said Lyon.

"I could be poisoning you on accident and you wouldn't even know it!" insisted Juvia.

Lyon blinked. That thought hadn't even occurred to him. Oh, well. If that were the case, he'd die happy. Maybe he _should_ have let her spoon-feed him.

"I _imagine_ it tastes fine," he offered. Then he sighed. "Sorry. I hope you're not too disappointed with me," he muttered.

Juvia looked up, frowning in confusion. "What would I be disappointed for?" she asked, shaking her head.

"You went to all the trouble to cook for me and I can't even taste it," he said. "Can't imagine why that would be disappointing…"

"No…" said Juvia, shaking her head. "Lyon. I don't care about that. I can tell you don't really want to eat right now, but you tried. That _alone_ makes me happy," she said, her smile gentle. "You're always such a good friend. It makes me wish that I was a better one. I want to say thank you in any way that I can. I'm happy to do this for you."

"That's sweet of you, Juvie," sighed Lyon wistfully. "But just your presence makes me smile. That's thanks enough."

Juvia was enthusiastic to a fault, but she was caring and well-intentioned. Why on earth couldn't Gray appreciate her? That would forever be a mystery to him.

"Are you mad at her?" asked Juvia suddenly.

"Mad at whom?"

"Chelia."

"Chelia?" repeated Lyon, pausing with his spoon half-way up to his mouth.

"From your guild," said Juvia.

"Yes, thank you. I know who Chelia is," said Lyon.

"Are you mad at her?" asked Juvia again.

"No. Why would I be mad?"

"You seemed a little annoyed with her earlier."

Lyon shook his head, scowling. "I'm just going to kill her the next time I see her. I'm not mad."

Juvia giggled, smiling at him fondly. "Lyon…"

Lyon set his empty bowl back down on the cookie sheet before moving the entire thing to the coffee-table. "I'm serious, Juvia. That girl needs to learn that the world isn't one big game. She shouldn't have dragged you out here like that."

He suspected that Chelia had taken advantage of Juvia's tendency towards histrionics, and that annoyed him. Juvia was sensitive and highly excitable and her enthusiasm could be just _a touch_ blinding. He was grateful that Juvia had cared enough to come, but then again, she was only here because Chelia had probably managed to convince her that he was on his deathbed. As much as he enjoyed Juvia's company, it wasn't fair to keep her on such false pretenses.

Lyon sighed. "I think you should get back," he said. "You've wasted enough of your day on me."

"I spent the afternoon with a good friend. I don't think it's a waste," said Juvia.

"Getting sent half-way across Fiore over Chelia's practical joke?" scoffed Lyon. "When there are plenty of other things you could have been doing instead? Sounds like a waste to me."

"_I_ don't think it's a waste," repeated Juvia. "No more than it's a waste for you to come all the way out to Magnolia, like you do when I'm feeling sad or anxious about Gray. It's a long train ride between Margaret Town and Magnolia, even though you always insist it's not. I'm sure there are plenty of other things you could have been doing too."

"Fine. It's a long ride back to Magnolia and I don't want you to be out too late. It'll be dark soon."

"I guess you're right," sighed Juvia. "I should probably get back."

"Of course, I am," said Lyon, nodding in agreement. "I can walk you, if you—_What_?" asked Lyon when Juvia reached for his forehead _again._ "What is it with you and… _that_?"

"Because you're talking crazy again," said Juvia, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "It's been raining all week."

"And?"

"And you're still sick."

"And?"

"_Lyon!_"

"It's fine. And honestly, I'm feeling a little warm anyways. It's probably nice and cool out there. The fresh air might do me some good."

Juvia gave him an incredulous look. "You really think I'm letting you leave your apartment like that? You look awful and you sound even worse."

"That's flattering. Thank you, Juvia," said Lyon, rolling his eyes.

"No, I didn't mean it that way. Just… It's cold, and it's wet out, and… and… you're sick and… Juvia's not letting you leave!" she exclaimed.

Juvia always had such a unique way of expressing herself. Lyon couldn't help but find it a little bit endearing.

"I'm not joking, Lyon," she said. She planted herself in front of him, her arms spread as if she were determined to block him.

Lyon choked an incredulous laugh that ended with a stifled cough. Did she really think she could physically keep him from leaving? With her slight build, that wasn't _remotely_ possible. Then again, she _was_ a member of the infamous Element Four. Better not to risk it. Juvia was probably stronger than she looked. That, and he was still, by and large, powerless to her requests. To say nothing of his current illness.

"Fine, fine. You win," said Lyon, raising his hands in surrender. "But call me when you get back so I'll know you made it home safe?"

"I will," she said, relaxing. "Anything you need before I leave? I can put in a movie lacrima for you. Or maybe you want to go back to bed?"

Lyon shook his head. "I've slept away the entire day already. I might as well see if I can get _something_ done on these reports. There's a whole stack of them I had planned on finishing today."

"Are you sure you're feeling up to it?"

Lyon bit back a sigh. "Not really," he admitted. Even if he did stay up, he wouldn't have been horribly productive. It almost wasn't worth it. "But it's not like I'm actually going to get any real rest anyways. I should try to get something done."

Juvia looked thoughtful. "Be right back, okay?"

"Where are you going?"

When she returned, she offered him a blister-pack with two pills in it. "Cold medicine," she said. "It might help."

Lyon accepted the silver packet with a shrug. He popped the pills out of the foil and washed them down with the rest of his tea. It was still warm, and it was making him feel warm. With the low-grade fever he'd been running, he'd been feeling a little bit warm all afternoon, but this was different. This was the _good_ kind of warm. It was sort of soothing.

"I'm going to put the rest of the soup the fridge, okay? You can heat it up if you get hungry," Juvia said as she took his empty dishes to the sink.

Juvia was saying something else, but her words washed over him like a fuzzy sweater. Her voice was soothing and warm. Everything was a little bit warm and he was beginning to feel a little bit drowsy. And fuzzy. Definitely fuzzy.

"Lyon?"

"Hm? Sorry… what was that?" He must have been more tired than he had thought. "I must've gotten distracted. Sorry. It's not on account of your company, I assure you," he added hastily. "Now, what were you saying?"

"Are you _sure_ you don't want to go back to sleep?" asked Juvia slowly. "Come on, let's get you back to bed."

Too worn to argue with her, Lyon just nodded. It was like his cold was finally catching up with him, leaving him feeling drained. Lyon took a staggering step away from his couch, nearly face-planting when he stumbled. His muscles felt like they had turned into jelly.

"You okay?" asked Juvia, helping to hold him up.

"Yeah… just _really_ tired all of a sudden," he mumbled. "Came out of nowhere."

Juvia tugged at her hair. "Oh… really? How strange," she said, her voice high and stiff.

There was something a little unnatural about the whole thing, but Lyon couldn't put his finger on what.

Juvia wasted no time in shuffling him back towards his room. "Almost there," she said. "Just a little farther."

Lyon didn't try to fight her.

"Thanks for coming over, Juvie," he mumbled, his words slurring.

"I'm here whenever you need me," she said helping him into bed. "Hopefully you feel better soon." She adjusted his pillows and pulled the covers up under his chin. It was kind of adorable and very, very Juvia.

"You've already made me feel a lot better," he breathed. He was _exhausted_. Maybe he actually _could_ fall asleep...

"Get some rest," said Juvia, smoothing the covers in an almost maternal fashion. Nobody had done that for him… not since Ur.

Although maybe maternal wasn't the right word here. Caring? Affectionate? The lethargy had set in and his brain wasn't working right.

The last thing he felt was Juvia's cool hand running over his forehead and carding through his sweat-damp hair as the world faded away.

* * *

**In case you missed it, Juvia drugged him with NyQuil. :) I don't think it's a good thing to do, but I think it's the sort of thing that Juvia would do without batting an eye. She's got sort of a different take on personal boundaries than others do... Needless to say, disclaimer, disclaimer: don't try this at hime.  
**

**Question for you: What do you think is the biggest obstacle to a Lyvia endgame in Mazeverse? Is it Gray - (his very existence being the problem)? Is it Juvia (and her fixation)? Is it Lyon (by consistently encouraging Juvia and self-sabotaging his own chances)? Could it be... Sherry?**

**Next time, in ****_[Mazeverse] Under the Weather,_ Juvia's gone home and Lyon's team has their say****: **_"It's nothing personal," said Sherry. "She seems nice enough and I wouldn't mind being friends. But I don't approve where Lyon's concerned."_

**Stop back next Friday for the final installment, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Happy Friday! ****This is the last chapter of _Under the Weather._ We started with Chelia, so with Chelia we'll end.**

**It's been super crazy this week, and next week doesn't look any better. But it's almost over... I've got just over two weeks left. Counting the days! :)**

**Ren the trimen: Thanks! I'm glad you liked. :) I'll let you in on a secret, though. I'm hit or miss with sickfics and whumpy stories. I like how h/c can amp up an underlying situation. (A bad situation gets that much worse when someone's hurt.) I also appreciate how having another person (that you care about... or maybe they're a complete stranger, and this is a random act of kindness) in a less fortunate situation can bring out the best of friendship, family, love and human kindness. I'm much less interested in whump or sickfic that doesn't deliver on that emotional payoff for me. That's sort of what I was going for here-sounds like it worked? Thanks for the review!**

**\- K. Chandler**

* * *

"Are you done yet? Let's go!" said Chelia.

"Slow down, Chelia. I'm almost done," said Sherry. She snapped the lid on the casserole dish and slipped it into a padded tote. "There. Was there anything else he needed?"

"…Um. I don't think so." With that Juvia girl on the job, Chelia was confident that Lyon would be well taken care of. At least she hoped so. "Hurry up, let's go!" She couldn't wait to see what Juvia had done with the afternoon.

"Are you sure you want to come?" asked Sherry. "You already checked in on him this morning. It'd be okay if you wanted to stay home instead."

"Well, I didn't actually get to _see_ him. He was sort of asleep the whole time, so it was really boring. I didn't really stick around too long. I actually left right after I called you." said Chelia.

"All right," said Sherry, slinging the bag containing her offering over her shoulder. "Let's go, then."

Streetlights cast long shadows as the girls walked to their friend's apartment. Puddles decorated the sidewalk, glistening in the dark.

"I'm so glad the rain's let up," said Sherry, as they arrived at Lyon's front door. "The forecast's finally calling for sun tomorrow."

Sherry knocked on the door. Just like the morning, there was no answer.

"It's about time," said Chelia. "We could use some nice weather." She kicked up the corner of the doormat, catching the glimmer of the key that Juvia had returned after she let herself out. Chelia bent to retrieved it and unlocked the door.

"Chelia?" asked Sherry.

"What?" she said innocently. "Here's your key back," she said added cheekily.

"Do I want to know?" sighed Sherry.

"Probably not," said Chelia honestly. "I'll put the casserole away," she offered, seeing her opportunity to snoop some more.

Sherry narrowed her eyes, but she didn't argue. "I'll check on Lyon, then," she said.

"Remember, he runs warm," Chelia reminded her. "So, don't freak out, okay?"

"Oh, that's right," said Sherry, handing the bag with the food in it to Chelia, who headed towards the kitchen.

Chelia opened the fridge door to store the covered dish, her eyes lighting up as she saw the soup that hadn't been there that morning. Juvia's handiwork no doubt. She had also left half a pot of tea and a note written in a looping, girlish script that made Chelia giggle:

_Make sure you stay hydrated! - Juvia_

But that was the only thing that Juvia had left sitting out. The sink was empty, and the counters were clean. She had actually tidied up after herself and not left a mess for Lyon to take care of later.

"That was nice of her," said Chelia, nodding in approval. "Hm. You are a worthy rival, Juvia Lockser. You pass."

"He's a little feverish, but not too bad," reported Sherry as she came into the kitchen, her hands full of documents. "But he's out like a light! I swear, I could shove him out of bed and he'd probably stay asleep."

Chelia jumped at the sound of her cousin's voice. "What? Oh… um, yeah. Good."

Sherry frowned. "Chelia, what are you doing?" she asked slowly.

"Hm? Nothing!" Chelia grinned, tucking Juvia's note behind her back.

"_Chelia_…"

Chelia gave an innocent shrug, diverting the topic. "What are _you_ doing?"

"Guild paperwork apparently," said Sherry, letting the matter drop along with the sheaf of papers. They scattered across the dining room table. "He never makes any of us do it, so I never realized there was so much of it. Look at this! Reports for every job we take? This is ridiculous!"

"And Lyon does all of it by himself?" asked Chelia, peering over her shoulder. "I don't know how he does it."

"What, is he a calligrapher?" commented Sherry, holding up a handwritten document and observing Lyon's handwriting with a mixture of awe and disdain. "Look at this! When Ren and I get married, I'm having Lyon hand-letter the invitations."

Chelia looked. Lyon did have nice penmanship. "They say the large capital letters are a sign of arrogance," Chelia pointed out helpfully.

"Lyon? Arrogant? _No_!" mocked Sherry as she continued to flip through the documents. "And what's this? Really, Yuka? This is not _love_. I can't even read this!" She wrinkled her nose.

"No wonder Lyon's always so grouchy and stressed," said Chelia. "I mean if he's doing everyone's reports for them, that is."

"Maybe I'm not as thorough as him, but I can do my own reports, at least," said Sherry, separating out some of her own notes from the pile.

"Is there any of my stuff in there?" asked Chelia, joining her cousin at the table. "I can help too."

As Chelia settled in to help, Lyon's lacrima sounded. Chelia's ears perked up as it sounded once, twice, three times before the caller was directed to voicemail.

A familiar sounding voice crackled through the speaker.

_"Hi, Lyon. It's Juvia. I just wanted to let you know that I'm back at Fairy Hills. Anyways, don't worry about trying to call me back or anything. I figured you'd probably be sleeping when I called. The cold medicine I gave you wasn't the non-drowsy daytime kind. It was actually the… other… kind…? Sorry! Juvia has a feeling she shouldn't have done that. But you said that you couldn't sleep and you just looked like you needed it, you know? Sorry, again… Anyways, Juvia hopes… I hope… that you're feeling better by the time you get this. We'll talk soon, okay? Bye!"_

Chelia's eyes widened. "She drugged him?" she giggled. "That's _hilarious_!"

"There's nothing funny about it!" lectured Sherry, her expression stormy.

"What's the big deal?" asked Chelia. "She meant well. And he's _actually_ sleeping now. That's better than the tossing and turning this morning. As the team medic, that's a win in my book."

"You can't do that to people! Not only is it a pretty major breach of trust, it could be dangerous. He's going to need to have another talk about boundaries with her," said Sherry, her eyes dark with disapproval.

"You don't seem to like Juvia very much," observed Chelia.

"It's nothing personal," said Sherry. "She seems nice enough and I wouldn't mind being friends. But I don't approve where Lyon's concerned."

"Why not?"

"It's not good for him," said Sherry, frowning. "He's so ready to give her anything she wants. But she can't even give him the time of day. That's not _love_. Do you even have any idea how often she calls him?"

Chelia actually did have a pretty good idea. She'd seen the call logs herself, though she wasn't about to admit to it. "He needed her today and she came, didn't she?" asked Chelia. "It didn't take much for me to convince her to—" Chelia cut herself off. "Oops…"

"She only came running because you tricked her," Sherry pointed out.

"I guess I exaggerated a little…"

Sherry sighed, shaking her head. "I didn't think it was a big deal at first, but I started to realize just how unhealthy this weird crush-thing he's got going on is," said Sherry. "If she called him right now and told him she needed a shoulder to cry on, he'd be enough of a fool to go. He'd risk pneumonia and he wouldn't even think twice. No, he'd be on the next train to wherever she asked."

"But he'd do the same for any of us," argued Chelia. "You just have to know how to ask him."

"Yes, but any of us would do the same in return. Love is reciprocated. This is just… wrong," said Sherry. "Besides, I thought _you_ liked him…"

"I do," admitted Chelia. "But I think it's just puppy love. Y'know? I mean, I think Lyon's awesome. And someday I want to find a guy who's just like him. But not yet. I don't think I'm ready for a serious relationship. And I don't want things to change between me and Lyon."

"Who says it would have to?" asked Sherry. "Besides, change isn't always bad."

"This kind of stuff changes stuff," said Chelia. "And even if it was a good sort of change, I'm not confident that I know what I want. I wouldn't be able to make it last. And I'd hate for this to make things weird between us or for it to be something I'd regret in the future. I'd rather stay just like this."

"That's… very mature, Chelia."

Chelia shrugged. "Lyon has always said that he's going to look after me. After all of us. And I know I'll always have that. Besides, I've seen the way he talks about her. I can't compete with that. And I'm not going to try."

"Why not?" asked Sherry. "Since when have you been a quitter?"

"Well, I wasn't going to let him go _that_ easily," admitted Chelia. "He may not be the person I want to be with, but I still care about him. So, I figured I'd test Juvia instead. Well, she passes."

"Aren't you making it too simple, Chelia?" asked Sherry.

"Love _is_ simple," said Chelia. "You taught me that, remember? Besides, if Lyon sees something in her, who are we to say differently?"

"I don't know that she's good for him," said Sherry.

"She makes him happy," argued Chelia. "Just like you and Ren. Ren makes you happy, right? Even though Lyon doesn't think he's good enough for you?"

"Yeah, but there's more to it than that, Chelia."

"Like what?"

"Ren's a good person," said Sherry. "He cares. Beyond that, Ren and I have the same goals in life. We've talked, and we both know what the other wants and we're pretty in sync. We're not just compatible now, but in the future, too."

"I don't know if Lyon and Juvia have the same goals," mused Chelia.

"I doubt Juvia has any goals aside from Gray," said Sherry. "Plus, it's not the sort of thing you talk about until after you get a little more serious. And if they do end up getting there, they'll have to figure it out on their own."

"Okay, so what's the problem?" asked Chelia.

Sherry sighed. "If she started coming over more often and maybe _reciprocating_ his feelings? I might be willing to give her a chance, for his sake."

"I guess Lyon will have to have a convenient training accident, which will be good since he's always telling me I need to really loose when we spar," said Chelia, struggling to keep a straight face.

"_Chelia_!" scolded Sherry.

Chelia batted her eyes innocently, fighting a grin. "What? I'm not going to hurt him _too_ bad. But if I break his legs, then Juvia _has_ to come look after him!" she chirped gleefully.

Sherry just gaped, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Maybe she'll spend the weekend with him… Hmm, I'll work something out," continued Chelia, pretending not to notice.

"…Breaking his legs is _not _love!" screeched Sherry.

Chelia burst out laughing. "I'm just joking, geez! You know I wouldn't really do something like that."

"Sometimes I wonder…" said Sherry, pursing her lips. Then she sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I suppose if Lyon likes her _that_ much, I'll support him—"

"That's totally _love_," chirped Chelia, clasping her hands together.

"But _only_ if she can meet him half-way," interrupted Sherry sternly.

"If anyone can love as unconditionally as he can, it's Juvia," said Chelia with a confident nod.

"But can she love _him_ that way?"

"I don't think you have to worry about that," grinned Chelia. "In fact, when he and Juvia finally get together, let Lyon know that he owes me… with interest."

* * *

**I love our little extortionist Chelia! Though Sherry makes a good point here. I am all in favor of a guy pursuing a girl he likes. I am not for a guy being her doormat. Not cool. I mean, there's nice, and then there's doormat. ****If anyone noticed, they were nice enough to not call it out, but p****rior to this fic, Lyon had definitely been edging towards doormat territory when it came to Juvia.  
**

******I had a lot of fun with this. We will definitely be seeing more whumpy fics, more Lyon, and more Juvia in _Mazeverse. _I have yet to decide if I want to end them with fluff or angst. For ships that I like, I'm as happy with meaningfully tragic angst as I am with an end-game. **I hope you had fun with this one; I definitely did. If you enjoyed it, let me know with a review or a favorite.****

**Next week, we bring back my favorite crackship. Jenny Realight and Toby. Ladies and gents, Jendawg! **

**Stop back next Friday for _[Mazeverse]_ ****_Call Me Cyrano_****, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.**


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